Clam and oyster opening machine.



No. 845,521. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907. L. H. GARLSON. CLAM AND OYSTER OPENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1906.

' To all whom it may concern;

UNITED s'rn'rns PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters l atent.

Patented. Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed July 21, 190B. Serial No. 327,16].-

Be it known that I, Leas HENNING CARL- SON, a citizen of the United States, residin in the city of Lorain, county of Lorain, an State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Clam and Oysterv Opening Machine.

My invention relates. to im rovement in machines. for opening clam an oyster shells more quickly and easily than heretofore..

The advantages of my invention consist of itsv cheapness, -ease of operation, cleanliness,

and the saving of all the liquor from the shellsopened. I attained. these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of same with part of bed-plate and end of handle broken off. Fig. 3 is detailed view of post, showing obli. ue slot in same. Fig. 4 is cross-sections. view of my invention with-dotted lines indicating position of oyster or clam shell ready to be opened by depression of knife-blade; and Fig. 5 shows sectional view of my invention with the inner side of knife perpendicular with the shear edge I), as herema ter explained. I

Similar letters refer to similar parts through )ut the several views. 1 A represents a bedlate supported by the parts a a, of sufficient eight to admit of any suitable receptacle being placed under the bed-plate to catch the liquor runningfrom the shells as opened.

Preferably the bed-plate and all parts of my invention are made of metal and of suitable size to accommodate the largest shells tobe operated on and of suflicient strength for the purposes intended. To the top of the bed-plate and rigidly secured thereto is a holder 1;, concaved or with edges projecting u ward on all sides, the back edge extending hlgh enough and beveled to form a shear edge used in conjunction with the knife (1. The end nearest the handle of the knife extends high enough to form a rest for the handle and prevents depressing the knife too far. A stop b extends up on the back side to brlng the knife in right position to form a shear cut with the edge I). A post 0 is also secured rigidly to the bed-plate A. In the top of this post is secured the hollow standard 0, cut away in front to receive the knife and rovided with a round hole on one side an an oblique slot 0 on the opposite side to receive a pin 0', extending through the inner end of holder.

the knife-blade.- The knife-blade d is wedgeshaped and theouter-end provided with a handle. In-the bottom of the holder 1) and extending through the bed-plate is a suitable hole to permit the liquor to escape from the The oblique slot 0'. iscut on such an angle as to bring the side ofthe. knife next the o erator perpendicular with the shear edge when used in connection therewith. The operation .of my invention is as follows: The oyster or clam shell can first have the edge trimmed off by the kniie and shear edge I) then set u right, its back resting in.

knit

the holder 12, the l e edge thendepressed between edges of the shell, forcing same open a suitable distance, the liquor from the inside running-down through the hole in the bottom into a proper receptacle.

Having fully described my invention and 1 its operations, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-.

. 1. An opener for shell-fish consisting of a base, an element having an upper shear edge mounted on said. base, a kmfe-blade pivotally connected to said base to swing in a vertical plane above said base, and means forming said pivotal connection whereby the:

knife-blade may also be swung in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooperate with said shear edge.

2. An opener for shell-fish consisting of a base, a holder'for a shell-fish on said base, an element having an upper shear edge mounted on said base at one side of said holder, a knife-blade pivotally mounted on said base to swing in a vertical plane above said holder,

and means forming said pivotal connection whereby the knife-blade may also be tilted sidewise from above said holderto swing in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooperate with said shear edge.

' 3. An opener for shell-fish consisting-ofa base, a holder for shell-fish on said base, said holder having inclosing walls rising from said base, one of said walls having an upper beveled shear edge, a knife -.blade pivotally mounted on said base to swing in a vertical plane above said holder, and means forming.

said pivotal connection whereby the knifev blade may also be tilted sidewise from above. said holder to swing in a plane inclined to the:

vertical so as to cooperate with said shear edge.

4. base, a ho der for a shell-fish on said base,

An 0 ener for shell-fish consisting IIO said holder having two side walls rising from said base, said side walls being inclined in a horizontal direction with respect to each other, and one side wall having an up er beveled shear edge, a knife blade plvotally niomited on said base at approximately the intersection of the plane of one side wall and a plane parallel with the other side wall, to swing in a vertical plane parallel with one side wall, and means forming said pivotal connection whereby the knife-blade may be swung into the plane of said other side wall and simultaneously tilted to swing in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooperate with said beveled shear edge.

5. An 0 ener for shell-fish, consisting of a base, a hol der for shell-fish on said base, said holder having inclosing side and end walls rising from said base one of said side walls having a beveled upper edge, a knife-head pivotally connected with said base to swing in a vertical lane over said holder and means forming said pivotal connection whereby the knife-blade may also be moved sidewise and turned to swing in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooperate with said shear edge, one of said end walls being positioned to limit the vertical and guide the sidewise movement of said blade, and a stop on said wall to limit the said sidewise movement'of the knife-blade at the proper position for cooperation with said beveled edge.

6. An opener for shell-fish consisting of a base, an element having an upper shear edge mounted on said base, a knife-blade pivotally connected to said base to swing in a vertical plane above said base, said pivotal connection consisting of two cylindrical pivot-lugs pplojecting from the opposite sides of said ife near one end thereof, a hollow cylindrical standard mounted on said base, an opening in the side of said standard through which the end of the knife extends, a round opening in one wall to receive one of said pivot-lugs, and an inclined slot in the opposite wall to receive the other pivot-lug, whereby the knife-blade may also be swung in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooper ate with said shear edge. u

7. An opener for shell-fish consisting of a base, a holder for shell-fish on said base, an element having an upper shear edge mounted on said base at one side of said holder,'a knife-blade pivotally mounted on said base, to swing in a vertical plane above said holder, said pivotal connection consisting of two cylindrical pivot-lugs projecting from the opposite sides of said knife near one end thereof, a hollow cylindrical standard mounted on said base, an opening in the side of said standard through which the end of the knife extends a round opening in one wall to receive one of said pivot-lugs, and an inclined slot in the o posite wall to receive the other pivot-lug, w ereby the knife-blade may also be tilted sidewise from above said holder to" swing in a plane inclined to the vertical so as .to cooperate with said shear edge.

8. An opener for shell-fish consisting of a base, a holder for shell-fish on said base, said holder having inc-losing walls rising from said base, one of said walls having an upper beveled shear edge, a knife-blade pivotally mountt ed on said base to swing in a vertical plane above said holder, said pivotal connection consisting of two cylindrical pivot-lugs projecting from the opposite sides of said knife near one end thereof, a hollow cylindrical standard mounted on said base, an opening in the side of said standard through which the end of the knife extends, a round opening in one wall to receive one of said pivot-lugs, and an inclined slot in the opposite wall to receive the other pivot-lug, whereby the knife-blade may also be tilted sidewise from above said holder to swing in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooperate with said shear edge.

9. An opener for shell-fish consisting of a base, a holderfor a shell-fish on said base, said holder having two side walls rising from said base, said side walls being inclined in a horizontal direction with respect to each other, and one side wall having an upper beveled shear edge, a knife-blade pivotally mounted on said base at approximately the 95 intersection of the plane of one side wall and a plane parallel with the other side wall, to swing in a vertical plane parallel with one'side wall, said pivotal connection consisting of two cylindrical pivot-lugs, projecting from the opposite sides of said knife near one end t ereof, a hollow cylindrical standard mounted on said base, an opening in the side of said standard through which the end of the knife extends, a round opening in one wall to receive one of saidpivot-lugs, and an inclined slot in the'opposite wall to receive the other pivot-lug, whereby the knife-blade may be swung into a plane of said other side wall and simultaneously tilted to swing in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooperate with said beveled shear edge. i

10. An opener for shell-fish, consisting of a base, a holder for shell-fish on said base, said holder having inclosing side and end walls rising from said base, one of said side walls having a beveled upper edge, a knife-head pivotally connected with said base to swing in a vertical plane over said holder, said pivotal connection consisting of two cylindrical pivot-lugs projecting from the opposite sides of said knife near one end thereof, a hollow cylindrical standard mounted on said base, an opening in the side of said standard through which the end of the knife extends, a round opening in one wall to receive one of said pivot-lugs, and an inclined slot in the opposite wall to receive the other pivot-lug, whereby the knife-blade may also be moved sidewise and turned to swing in a plane inclined to the vertical so as to cooperate with In testimony whereof I have signed my said shear ed e, one of said end walls being name to this specification in the presence ofpositioned to imit the vertical and guide the 1 two subscribing witnesses.

sidewise movement of said blade, and a stop -LARS HEN N ING CARLSON. on said wall to limit the said sidewise move- I Witnesses:

ment of the knife-blade at the proper posi- ANTHONY NIEDING,

tion for cooperation with said beveled edge. I IDA M. HARTMAN. 

